12 months to Aug 2026, FBI
Memphis vs Nashville crime rates
Memphis’ violent crime rate was 1.7 times Nashville’s over the 12 months to Aug 2026: 1,445 against 828 per 100,000 residents a year. Memphis’ property crime rate was 7% higher than Nashville’s over the same period: 3,612 against 3,377 per 100,000 residents a year. Memphis recorded 141 homicides (23.2 per 100,000 residents) and Nashville 36 (5.0). Over the same period violent crime was down 35% in Memphis and down 20% in Nashville, each against its own previous 12 months.
Side by side
per 100k, per year| Measure | Memphis, TNcity, Tennessee | Nashville, TNcity, Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 1,445 | 828 |
| Property crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 3,612 | 3,377 |
| Homicidescount in the period | 14123.2 per 100k | 365.0 per 100k |
| Violent crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −35% | −20% |
| Property crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −39% | −18% |
| Residents | 606,629 | 718,499 |
| Period | 12 months to Aug 2026 | 12 months to Aug 2026 |
| Source | Memphis Police Departmentas reported to the FBI | Metropolitan Nashville Police Departmentas reported to the FBI |
Violent crime, month by month
Each line has its own scale, so read the direction, not the height; the table above has the rates.
Robbery and theft
| Offense | Memphis | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Robberytaken by force or threat | 974161 per 100k | 61785.9 per 100k |
| Burglaryentering a home or business to steal | 3,465571 per 100k | 2,637367 per 100k |
| Theft from vehiclesitems or parts taken from a vehicle | 4,447733 per 100k | 6,682930 per 100k |
| Other theftshoplifting, pickpocketing and the rest | 10,8821,794 per 100k | 12,0661,679 per 100k |
Counts over each period.
The FBI cautions against ranking or comparing places on these numbers alone: how dense a place is, its economy, how often residents report crime and how each agency records it all shape them. How to read crime numbers
What this comparison does not measure
read before deciding- These are crimes reported to the police. In the federal victim survey for 2024, about half of violent crime (47.9%, homicide aside) and under a third of property crime (30.5%) was reported, and that share can differ from one city to another.
- City limits are drawn differently: one city may take in suburbs and open land that another leaves to its neighbors, and that alone moves a citywide rate. A citywide figure says little about any one neighborhood.
More on each place
3 related pairsCrime in Memphis, TNCrime in Nashville, TNAustin vs NashvilleCharlotte vs NashvilleLouisville vs Nashville
Source and dates
FBI Crime Data Explorer- Memphis, TN
- Memphis Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Aug 2026; 606,629 residents.
- Nashville, TN
- Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Aug 2026; 718,499 residents.
- How we count
- Violent crime is homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property crime is burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson, the FBI’s definitions for every agency. Methodology